The Time Traveler
by adaren1
Summary: Adalaide Barnes has been normal her whole life. Lots of friends, good grades, stuff like that. But one fateful birthday, her entire world turns on its axis. What will happen to Ada? Will she adapt to her new conditions? Or will she perish in the new world that is nothing like her own? Will/OC, Jem/Tessa
1. Chapter 1

**what's up y'all. let me tell you i am so excited to start this story. i have a big, big plan for it, and i'm ready for y'all to read it and enjoy it as much as i am. i'm gonna try and do this, while still writing my other story. sigh. here we go.**

I stood in front of her mirror, staring. Today marked 8 years that my parents had died in the fire. It was also my 17th birthday. Yeah, kind of a shitty birthday. I took a moment to look at myself. I had small circles under my eyes from finals, but other than that I looked the same as always. Bright green eyes stood out from dark, long lashes. My curly black hair reached almost to the middle of my back and swished around when I moved my head. I had my father's tan skin but had inherited my mother's little freckles that popped up everywhere. With the thought of my parents in my head, I straightened up. It was my last day of finals, and I just had to take my English and Spanish 4 tests. Granted, I only knew how to say _puedo ir al_ _baño_ _por favor_ , but that was no one's business. Pulling on a large sweater over my t-shirt, I put on my boots before heading into the kitchen.

"Hey, Jenna," I said as she reached for her backpack.

"Good morning sweetie," a young woman with light brown hair and dark blue eyes sang from the kitchen. Jenna was my mother's sister and had been taking care of me since my parents had passed away. She was adorable, and I loved her dearly.

"You get out early today, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be home by two at the latest."

"Alright," Jenna turned around with two cups of coffee in her hands and held one out to me.

"Remember, you get to choose dinner tonight! As long as- "

"You don't have to cook," I finished for her with a small smile. Jenna grinned back.

"You know me so well. Now get out of here, before you're late!"

"Alright, alright," I said as I was shooed out of the kitchen. I grabbed my phone and keys from my room and hurried to my car.

* * *

The drive to school was warm, and I dreaded leaving my car. Just as I was about to snuggle up into my comfy sweater and stay there for the rest of the day, my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Where the fuck are you?" a familiar voice rang through the line.

"Oh, good morning to you too, Emma."

Emma was my best friend since kindergarten, and we knew everything about each other. Emma knew that I would need some alone time later to mourn her parents, but she also knew how to bring me out of my depressions and crazy mood swings.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Where are you?"

"In my car, delightfully warm. Where are you?"

"Standing outside, waiting for you. Get your ass out here, it's freezing."

I groaned.

"Do I have to? You seem like you're doing great on your own."

"Adalaide Barnes. Get your ass out here, or so help me god, I will call Jenna and say that you've built up an addiction to heroin."

"I-what?"

"You heard me."

I sighed. It was better just to get it over with.

"Alright, I'm coming," I grumped. Sadly, I turned off her car and slowly got out. I began walking towards the school, locking my car as I went.

"Where did you say you were again?" I asked.

"In the courtyard."

"Okay, see you soon. Bye."

Emma said something garbled, but I didn't really care because I had forgotten my scarf at home and I couldn't feel my face. I hung up and shoved my phone in my backpack side-pocket. I shuffled over to the courtyard, muttering about how it was too cold for this shit and how I should just give up now and become a stripper, when a loud shout made me look up.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADA!"

People jumped out from everywhere with streamers and balloons and confetti that looked suspiciously like dirty leaves. I broke into a smile and stated laughing.

"Happy birthday Ads, I love you!" Emma said, engulfing me in a big hug. I laughed and hugged her back.

"I love you too Emma. Thank you."

Emma smiled her freckly smile, with her blonde hair blowing around her gently in the wind, and I knew was so lucky to have her in my life. I opened her mouth to say so, but I was interrupted by someone attacking me from behind. I turned around to see my other best friend, Mackenzie, pop up behind me.

"Happy birthday baby girl! I got you a present!"

Mackenzie happily pulled some fuzzy socks from behind her back and presented them with a glowing smile.

"Aww, Mack you didn't have to do that," I said, but took the socks. They were indeed very fuzzy.

Mackenzie rolled her eyes.

"Of course I did. I have to score _some_ brownie points against Em."

Emma stuck out her tongue playfully.

I went around to thank everyone for everything, when the bell rang, signaling that it was time to go to their classrooms. I gave some last hugs before hurrying over to my friends.

"Let's go ladies," I said, lacing arms with each of them.

Arm in arm, the three of us went to our Spanish class to take our test.

* * *

When it was finally over, we split ways and went to the next class. I was walking into the class when my phone buzzed. I slid into a seat and pulled it out.

 _Text from: Jenna_

 _Hey girlie. How r finals going?_

I smiled. Trust Jenna to care.

 _Text to: Jenna_

 _They're going pretty well, actually. I'm about to take my English one._

 _Text from: Jenna_

 _Ah yes. Well have fun with that. I have a surprise for you when you get home :)_

 _Text to: Jenna_

 _Yay! I can't wait._

"Hey Ada," a voice called out.

My head snapped up to see the eyes of another one of my best friends, Ethan.

"Hey dude," I said, smiling.

"Happy birthday, by the way. I couldn't make it to the big reveal, but I hope it was as great as Mack made it sound."

Mackenzie and Ethan had been dating for almost two years now, and they were widely known as the cutest couple at school. I grinned up at him.

"It was wonderful. Thank you for helping her think of it."

"Of course," he smiled and slid into the desk next to me.

"Alright everyone, take your seats," the teacher said in a loud, booming voice, and then I began my test.

* * *

After it was all over, Ethan and I walked to the courtyard together, where we met up with Emma and Mackenzie.

"Hey," Mackenzie said, giving Ethan a quick kiss.

"How were your finals?" Emma filled in for her.

"Fine. I'm glad they're over though."

"I hear that," she responded with a huff. "I'm still not completely sure that I didn't fail my physics test."

"Damn! There goes your dream of being a brilliant physicist, out the window," I said in a serious voice.

"I know. Oh, how I wished I could invent a new compound."

"That's not even physics, honey," Mackenzie interrupted them.

"How do you girls feel about lunch? We can go to Panera!" Ethan offered.

"Ooooh can we? I fucking love Panera and I've been craving mac n' cheese for days," I supplied quickly.

"Plus," I added, "birthday rights."

That got eyerolls from everyone, but they all agreed to go.

"Great! Meet you guys there!"

I hurried back to where my car was and pulled out my phone.

 _Text from: Jenna_

 _Please come straight home today; it's important._

I frowned. That didn't sound like Jenna at all.

 _Text to: Jenna_

 _Hey, I didn't get ur message in time. I'm already at Panera, but I'll finish up and get home asap_

I wasn't at Panera yet, but she didn't have to know that.

 _Test from: Jenna_

 _That's fine, but please hurry._

Huh. Well I guess I would be making up traffic excuses. With that in mind, I quickly drove to Panera, where Ethan and Mack were sitting, saving us a spot.

"Is Emma here yet?" I asked, looking around.

"Yeah, she's ordering."

I nodded and went to go order as well.

After I had gotten my mac n' cheese, we all sat down. We talked about who was with who, and who Emma and I had hooked up with recently, and who we were crushing on. For a solid half an hour, everything was good.

Then, my phone buzzed.

 _Text from: Jenna_

 _Where are you?_

Emma must have seen me frowning because she put a hand on my arm.

"Is everything alright?" she asked rather worriedly.

"Yeah, but I think I have to go. Jenna is freaking out."

"Really? Why? She's usually so chill," Ethan asked.

My brows furrowed as I tried to remember if I did anything wrong.

"I'm not sure. But she doesn't usually freak out so I'm gonna head home. I'll see you guys later,"

As I was leaving the table, Ethan's hand caught my wrist.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked. I looked at down at him and tensed up when I saw his eyes. They were much darker than before, and they had almost a hungry look in them. They looked almost-

No. what was I thinking? This was Ethan. We'd been friends for years. I smiled at him, my shoulders slowly loosening.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be fine. I'll call you later."

I walked out the door of the restaurant, feeling his eyes on me as the door swung shut. As I got into my car, I shook off the feeling of impending doom that seemed to be settling over me all of a sudden.

"Alright, Ada. Calm your tits. Relax."

Then I turned up the music and drove.

* * *

When I got home, it was almost four. I parked in front of my house like I always did, and walked up to the front door. As soon as I put my key in the lock, I knew something was wrong.

"Jenna?" I called out, closing the door behind me.

No answer.

"Hello? Jenna?"

Suddenly I heard footsteps running down the stairs. I turned to see Jenna coming down them with an urgent look on her face.

"Oh, Ada. You're home. Okay, come with me."

She motioned for me to follow her, so I did. We went into the living room, where she pulled out something from an old vanity table that we had lying around.

"Jenna, what is going on?"

"Ada, neither of us have much time, so you need to be quiet and listen to me. Understand?"

I nodded, to unnerved to speak. Jenna took a deep breath and glanced at the stairs before looking back down at me.

"This is something your parents wanted to give you when you were 18, but everything is happening much faster than it should. This is called a _stele_ -"

"A what?" I interrupted.

"Hush. It's a very important family heirloom. You are a Shadowhunter, Ada. It's very important you know this. It is in your _veins_."

"Jenna what is going on. What the hell is a Shadowhunter?" I wanted to ask more questions, but there was a loud thump from upstairs.

"Is there someone else here?" I asked, dumbfounded. Jenna never brought anyone home, no matter how often I told her I was okay with it.

"Yes," she whispered, "there's someone else here." She looked at me with a look in her eyes that I had never seen before. "Stay here," she said, before pulling out a… glowing sword? And rushing up the stairs.

I was torn. People in horror movies always seemed to die when they did not stay in the place they were supposed to. But I was also really curious as to what the fuck Jenna was talking about.

My internal battle was made up when I heard a scream from upstairs.

"Jenna!" I shouted, fully aware that shouting her name would do absolutely nothing to help her.

"Jenna, where are you- oh my god!" I stopped suddenly when I saw Jenna lying on the floor, blood surrounding her head. Then I realized that someone was leaning over her. And I knew that someone.

"Ethan?" I breathed out. He turned around and smiled.

"Hello Ada."

"What are you doing here?" he looked away from me and back down to Jenna. He didn't speak, just placed his hand over where her heart was. This caused me to rush forward and drop the candlestick that I didn't realize I had been holding.

"Oh my god is she breathing? We need to call 911," I scrambled around for my phone, before I realized I left it downstairs.

"Okay I'll be right back," I told Ethan, who didn't respond. Shaking it off, I flew down the stairs and grabbed my phone, dialing 911 as I went back up the stairs.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"Hi, yes someone came into my house and my aunt is bleeding from her head really badly."

"Alright, does she appear to be breathing?"

I took a long, shaky breath.

"I don't know."

"Okay ma'am what's your address."

"106 Highbyrne St."

"There is an ambulance coming to your house now. In the meantime, if you would stay on the phone, I can assist you in trying to lessen the wound."

"Yes, thank you that would be great…" my sentence faded away into a sharp gasp when I saw what had happened. Ethan was sitting over Jenna still, but he now had large, leathery wings, and seemed to be holding something in his hand that was dripping.

"…Ethan?" I whispered.

He turned his head and what met me were not his familiar brown orbs, but glowing red ones. I backed up slowly, before tripping on something and falling to the ground. I was too terrified to scream, or really do anything. I looked down to see what I had tripped on, and it was Jenna's glowing sword. Slowly, I picked it up.

It lit up in my hands, and for a moment, I was completely transfixed by its beauty. That is, until 'Ethan' came charging at me.

I didn't even know what I was doing. It felt like my body was acting from some old instincts, that had been pushed deep, deep down. All of a sudden, I felt the lightsaber thing go through something. I looked down to see Ethan standing there.

"Ada?" he asked in a broken voice, before his eyes flickered red again.

The creature roared, and then began folding in on itself, and eventually exploding into a shower of sparks and dust.

I stood there for a while, just staring. Then I ran over to Jenna, and dropped to my knees. What I saw made me turn to the side and throw up. Where Jenna's eyes had been were two black marks, as if they had been burned. There was a large cavity in her chest, with blood everywhere. I backed up quickly, bumping into stuff as I went. I saw my phone, still on 911. I reached to pick it up, when I realized that I had blood on my hands. _Jenna's_ blood. I ran to the bathroom and began to scrub violently. I knew I was crying, but I was still so in shock that I couldn't stop myself.

Once my hands were completely clean, I went back to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello? Hello?"

"I'm sorry, something," I paused and swallowed hard, "happened."

"Is everything alright?"

"No," I let out a shuddering breath.

"No, it's not."

"Alright sweetie, and ambulance is two minutes away. Can you handle the situation until then or do you want me to stay on the phone?"

I stayed silent for a moment, considering my options. Obviously, it was gonna look like I did it. so what was I supposed to do? Well, in every show I watched, lying to the police always made things more complicated. I suppose that meant that I should tell the police everything and leave it to them to believe me.

"I'll be fine," I said finally, before hanging up.

I put my phone down on the small table we had in the hallway, and looked down at the ground in exhaustion. I was just about to close my eyes, when the light caught on something. I leaned forward. It seemed like a necklace of some sort, with a small gold chain and something that resembled an eye in the front. I picked it up and turned it over. On the back was a small quote inscribed in a language that I didn't know.

 _Samyye sil'nyye iz vsekh voinov - eto dva - Vremya i Terpeniye._

"Huh," I muttered, running my finger over it. suddenly, I felt and heard a click. I turned the necklace back over to see a bright green gem shining up at me. I was about to try and close it, when I felt a jerking sensation in my stomach. My vision started bleeding together, and then bit by bit, it started getting darker, and darker, and darker, until I couldn't see anything at all.

 **whooooooooo here we go again! pls follow, favorite, and comment. they all make me want to continue writing!**

 **i promise we'll get more into the shadow world in the next chapter. i just had to get all my ideas out and set the story in motion before i went to bed. plus, i really didn't want to study. ok thanks for reading! leave a comment with any questions or concerns :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**hello world. enjoy the next chapter!**

I opened my eyes to stormy skies and the feel of fog on my skin. I sat up, my head spinning. I looked around and tried to get my bearings. It looked like I was in one of those civil war recreations, but in the 1800's. Heh. Wouldn't that be crazy. I stood up this time, ready to find out where the hell I was, when it started raining.

"Awesome," I muttered. I took shelter in one of the shops that was closest to me, which was coincidentally a men's clothing shop. I took one step in before I realized that something was wrong. Not one person had looked at me weird. It was obvious that I was out of place here. Shouldn't there be people telling me off for ruining the vibe? And speaking of the whole recreation idea, shouldn't there be other tourists around? Unless…

No. No way. It was impossible. Time traveling was just a thing in books and movies, not real life. _Although,_ I thought to myself as I took a good look at the clothing around me, _you did just see something not normal kill Jenna._ At that thought, I choked back a sob.

Okay, so let's say I _did_ time travel. Now I would have to find out what time period I was in. looking around, it seemed like my initial guess of the 1800's wasn't that far off. I stormed out of the shop to see a stack of newspapers that seemed like they had blown away. Picking one up, I quickly located the date

 _10_ _th_ _of May, 1879_

No fucking way.

Feeling eyes on me, I looked up to see two boys standing across the street at the beginning of a bridge. I stood up straighter, not wanting to look scared or intimidated. _Fake it till you make it,_ my brain whispered. I looked around again, confused. They seemed to be the only ones that were actually looking at me. Everyone else seemed to mold around my body, ignoring me without purpose. For a moment, I just stood there, waiting. Were they gonna make the first move or should I? When it had been a solid minute and they still hadn't moved, I took the initiative and started walking towards them. When I was almost there, I heard the taller, dark haired one say to his partner;

"What is she bloody wearing?"

I crossed my arms.

"Excuse me?"

The boy who had spoken looked up, and I definitely did NOT blush. The boy in question was quite possibly the most attractive person I had ever seen. He had jet black hair like mine, with bright blue eyes that seemed to pierce through me and know all my secrets. After I had given him a solid up-and-down look with my eyes, I stepped back a little and raised my eyebrow. Emma always said that I looked mysterious and seductive when I did it, and I hoped to god that she was telling the truth and not just being weird.

I then looked to the person next to the beautiful boy. It seemed to be a boy about the same age as pretty boy here, with shimmering silver hair and matching silvery eyes. I blinked.

"Are those contacts?" I asked before my brain could tell me not to. I clapped a hand to my mouth.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that," I quickly tried to rectify my mistake before I stopped myself. Since when did I care about what people thought of me? I tilted my head at the boy. There was something about him that just made you want to care and be his friend. Thankfully, both boys laughed, although the dark-haired one's seemed forced.

"It's alright," the silver haired boy said, holding out his hand, "my name is James Carstairs, but you may call me Jem."

I raised an eyebrow at his hand before remembering that I was in the 1800's and that was the custom at the time. I took it and gave it a small shake. After much debate on whether or not I should curtsey, I decided not to and instead gave a small nod.

"My name is Adalaide Barnes, but you can call me Ada," I replied as politely as I could. I turned to the dark-haired boy and looked up into his blue eyes.

"And who might you be?"

The boy smirked down at me, seemingly amused.

"Will," he said shortly, not putting his hand out or anything. I gave a small nod. I was about to ask more questions, when a cold wind blew and reminded me of what I was wearing. I looked down at my leggings and sweater, before looking back up at the boys whose eyes had followed mine. With an eyeroll I snapped my fingers. Both boys looked up again, Jem blushing.

"I don't suppose you boys would help me find some… suitable clothing?" I asked hopefully. I had no money on me, and even though Jem and Will seemed to be the only people who could see me, I wanted something that covered me more. Something that would keep Will's eyes from drifting, preferably. Or not. Winkey face.

"That brings us to our next question; what are you wearing? And why is it covered in blood?" Will asked.

The question threw me for a loop. I blinked and suddenly I was back in my house, cradling Jenna's bloody body to my chest. A hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality and I looked up. Clearing my throat, I realized I had to be strong. If I had in fact gone back in time, maybe there was a chance that I could go back to right before Jenna died and save her.

"It's a long story," I finally answered, looking into the silvery eyes of Jem. He must've seen something in my face that so desperately wanted him to drop it, because he nodded and stepped back. I tried to give him a small smile, but the adrenaline was wearing off and reality was starting to crash down. It was overwhelming, and I felt myself stumble. The last thing I saw before the world going dark, were Will's shining blue eyes and someone's arms catching me as I fell.

* * *

I woke up with a jolt. My eyes shot open, but I didn't move my body. I didn't want anyone to know I was awake yet. I could vaguely hear a conversation outside my door. Silently, I crept over to the door and pressed my ear against it.

"You know we cannot just take people in. She may not even be a Shadowhunter!" a female voice spoke admonishingly.

"So you suppose we should have just left her there, all bloody and wearing ridiculous clothing? And you saw her stele. Only Shadowhunters have them," a voice that sounded like Will retorted.

Ridiculous? These leggings were $60! I looked down and realized with a faint shock that I was wearing a… nightgown? What? I rushed away from the door to the full-length mirror that was standing on the far wall. Jesus Christ, I looked like a fucking doll. Someone had gotten all the blood off me, but I had small scratches all over my face, arms, and legs. I lifted my dress and saw that they were on my stomach as well.

"Great," I muttered. I was still wearing my bra and underwear that I had on earlier, and I threw out a silent thank-you to whoever undressed me that they left them on. I giggled to myself when I thought about how confused and affronted they had probably been. With a sudden jolt, I realized that I was wearing a necklace. I slowly took it off and turned it around. It was the same necklace that had transported me here. I quickly turned it around. There was still the inscription on the back: _Samyye sil'nyye iz vsekh voinov - eto dva - Vremya i Terpeniye._ Huh. If only I had google translate. I walked back over to the bed, where, sure enough, on the table next to the bed, was my phone. I picked it up and turned it on. Sigh. No connection. Not that I really expected there to be any, but still. One could always hope. I looked at it for a little while, trying to figure out what language it was before giving up. I flipped it back over to look at the front. It was in the shape of a circle, with swirly designs all over it that led to an eye in the center. Where the iris would usually be was a single green gem that seemed to almost glow in the sunlight that shone out from the windows. Overall it was a very rustic-looking piece that looked like something Emma would wear. My heart sunk at the sudden thought of my friends. Would they miss me? Would they come looking for me? What would the news say? Would that one super cute boy in my math class notice I was gone? Would he care?

I shook my head. That was off-topic. I slipped the necklace back over my head, where it rested comfortably between my breasts and under the neckline of my smock- I mean nightgown. I slipped back over to the door to try and hear the rest of the conversation.

"Should we go check on her?" I heard another female's voice say.

"Perhaps you should. You are a woman after all," Jem's calming voice replied.

After a few moments of silence, I saw the doorknob turn. With a speed I only used when I was in trouble and I was trying to get the fuck outta wherever I was, I jumped back into the bed and pretended to be asleep.

"Hello?" a soft voice said, the one that had been talking to Jem. Curious as to who it was, I turned my head and opened my eyes. I was met with the sight of a young woman with brown hair and grey eyes, and a kind smile. I could only stare. It was like I was in a reenactment, and the whole thing was still kinda freaking me out.

"Oh, you're awake. May I come in?" the girl asked with a smile that made me feel better already. I nodded slowly and sat up in bed. I caught another glimpse of myself in the mirror and noticed that they had taken off my makeup and my dark circles were showing. Lovely.

"My name is Tessa, and you're in the London Institute." She took a seat in the chair beside my bed that I hadn't even realized was there.

Wait. Did she say London? The boys earlier had accents, but I just assumed that they were transfers or something. But this girl had an American accent like me.

"Are you from America?" I asked, my voice scratchy from disuse.

The girl looked surprised, but she nodded.

"Yes. You are too, I see. I'm from New York."

I nodded. "I'm from Virginia," I said, hoping to find some common ground with this girl who seemed so calm and collected. She reminded me of Mackenzie, always looking out for everyone and always caring about other people before herself.

"Oh, that's lovely. I've always wanted to visit there, but it's a dreadful amount of money."

I gave another nod.

"You must have a million questions. I know we do," Tessa said with a smile. She reached up to the necklace that was laying daintily on her collarbone and held it protectively.

"I do. The main one being how I got here," I said looking down at my hands. The girl reached across and put a hand on mine. I looked up into her stormy grey eyes that were so different from Jem's, yet with the same kindness.

"All will be explained. I will send Sophie to help you get dressed and she will take you to the parlor, where we can all talk."

I stiffened. "We?"

"The rest of us. Will and Jem will be there, who I believe you have already met, along with Charlotte, who is the head of the Institute, and her husband Henry. Hopefully Jessamine will be there, but one never knows with her…" she trailed off, seemingly unsure. Then she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, that was terribly rude of me. You'll love them all, I'm sure." And with that, she stood up and walked towards the door. And then, with a final smile and an "I'll send for Sophie," I was alone.

I just sat in my bed for a while, thinking.

Just what the fuck had I gotten myself into?

I was pretty sure that they were all Shadowhunters since I had overheard Will and that other woman talking about it. But what even were Shadowhunters? Besides the fact that they had a pretty badass name, I knew literally nothing about them. Suddenly, a thought struck me. Jenna had given me a- what was it called? A _stele_. I looked around the room for it and came up empty-handed. I crawled back onto the bed and started rocking back and forth. I had just lost the one thing that I truly had from my old life. Jenna had said it was important, and I _lost it_.

My self-degrading was interrupted by a knock on the door. I looked up and wiped away my tears. Taking a deep breath, I sat up straight. Time to be a bad bitch.

"Come in," I said as strongly as I could muster.

The door opened to reveal a girl with brown hair and dark hazel eyes. She was very pretty, and when she turned around fully, I saw a long scar that that ran down the side of her face. I tilted my head. I had always liked scars; they told a story that no one else knew. They helped you learn from your mistakes. I had one on my thigh from when I was playing softball as a child and I had slid all the way into a rusted old fence. It was pretty painful, but I enjoyed showing it off and telling stories about it. Plus, it always got laughs and lots of _how did you not see the fence there?_ 's. I had learned long ago to not hide my scars and to be proud of them, but the girl that had just entered seemed to want to hide it, as she kept her face turned to one side.

"Are you Sophie?" I spoke up gently.

"Yes, miss, that's me. I'm to get you cleaned and dressed up and to take you to the parlor."

I nodded and stood up. I walked over to her, where she was holding up dress after dress. In the end, she chose a dark blue one with long sleeves that loosened up after my elbow. It had a low neckline, but I figured that I had worn lower. She helped me step into it and laced me up in a corset that made me laugh. She looked up over my shoulder in the mirror and gave me a questioning look, before looking back down.

"I'm sorry, I've just never worn one of these before," I clarified. She looked back up.

"I'm sorry miss, I didn't mean to question," she quickly apologized. I frowned a little bit.

"It's okay," I said quietly. "You must have a bunch of questions."

Sophie tightened the last part and I lurched forward a little.

"Jesus," I muttered, putting a hand on the mirror. I could've sworn I saw a smile cross her face, but it was gone too quickly for me to be sure.

"I think we all have questions, miss."

She directed me to a vanity, where I sat down and she started to brush out my curly hair.

"Oh, let me do that. It can get a bit frizzy if you don't wet it first." I stood up and walked over to the bowl of water that was by my bed and dipped the brush into it. I handed it back to her, since she looked a little affronted that I had taken it from her.

"Sorry," I said, cringing slightly. That probably wasn't proper of me. Oh well.

"It's alright miss. You know your hair after all," she said with a small smile as she continued to brush my hair back.

"So what questions do you have for me?"

She looked up sharply.

"I should wait until Mrs. Charlotte knows, she is the head of the Institute."

"Oh, come on Sophie. Not one question?"

The girl hesitated.

"I won't tell Charlotte, or whoever," I goaded lightly.

She gave a small smile.

"Alright miss, one question." She carefully parted my hair and put it up into a perfect bun. Setting the brush down, she pulled out a few strands near my face so that my curls framed my face, before asking her question.

"Where did you come from?"

I met her eyes in the mirror.

"I came from a small town in Virginia, in the year 2018."

I saw Sophie's eyebrows shoot up.

"A different year? In the future?"

I nodded.

"So you traveled back in time?" she asked, astonished.

I nodded again. "I'm still trying to process it myself. I have no idea how I got here, but I think it has something to do with my necklace," I said, pulling it out from under my dress to show her.

"I just remember the jewel glowing green, and then boom, I was here."

Sophie seemed to not know what to do with that information and to be honest, I didn't either.

"Well miss, let's go talk to the others. Perhaps they will be able to help you," Sophie said, standing me up and walking me to the door. I tucked the necklace back into my dress and followed her to the parlor. I stopped in front of the door.

"Sophie, what if they don't know how to help me? Or they don't like me?"

The girl gave me a soft smile. "They'll like you miss. And trust me when I say that they will do everything in their power to help you."

I nodded.

"Thank you, Sophie, for everything."

She looked surprised but smiled brighter.

"Of course. Now in you go."

I took a deep breath and lifted my chin. _Fake it till you make it._ Okay. I could do this. I put my hand on the doorknob and opened the door, stepping into the room that would change my life forever.

 **thank you for reading! I tried to make the chapter longer and have more action. pls favorite, follow, and review- I love hearing what y'all think :)**


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